Summer’s approaching again, which means the demand for cooling systems will surge once more. With people continuing to stay at home, residential HVAC systems all over the world will run for hours longer than usual.
If you’ve recently started an HVAC dealership company, you may be expecting an influx of orders not long from now. But first and foremost, did you already implement a marketing plan for your business?
An HVAC system may be essential, but it doesn’t mean people are automatically buying a unit from you. Chances are you have numerous strong competitors in the market, including established ones. As such, your dealership store has to offer something different, something that makes you cut out from other dealers.
To attract customers, your HVAC marketing plan should focus on your units’ desirable traits that other dealers might’ve overlooked. For example, if your competitor promotes their units’ cheaper prices, promote your units’ energy efficiency. That way, you can appeal to the consumers’ responsibility to make more sustainable choices. That may convince them to prioritize the environment over their budget.
That said, here are the key characteristics of an HVAC system that your marketing plan should emphasize:
1. The Market
No business can make huge profits without a target market. To sell a high amount of HVAC units, make your marketing revolve around the customer. If your dealership store is located in a small town, for example, you’re probably targeting homeowners, commercial building owners, and property management firms. That’s a diverse market, but for a small town with a meager population, that’s usually feasible.
To focus your marketing strategy on your market, determine what each segment needs that concerns their HVAC units. For example, homeowners are likely looking to upgrade their appliances, commercial building owners may be seeking lower energy bills, and property managers may need HVAC cleaning services. Address these needs through your advertisements, and you’ll certainly encourage a purchase.
2. Quality and Reputation
To generate a continuous stream of sales, choose units from high-quality and reputable brands. Consider procuring your units from the following top brands/manufacturers:
- Carrier
- Goodman
- Rheem
- Trane
- York International Corporation
- Lennox International, Inc.
- Nordyne
The more recognizable your brands are, the more trust you’d gain from your customers. If you want to sell cheaper units from lesser-known brands, putting them alongside the brands above can help bring attention to them. Consider these smaller brands recommended by Energy Star:
- Coleman
- Champion
- Bryant
- Armstrong Air
- Fujitsu
- LG
3. Maintenance
HVAC units must undergo preventive maintenance every six months. Offer the service in your dealership store as well, because people prefer to receive such services from the store that sold them their HVAC units.
To promote preventive maintenance, send out reminders to the customers who have already bought a unit from you. You can do that through emails or text messages. Urge them to care for their own units as well by sending tips on HVAC maintenance, such as how often to change the air filters. Promote specific maintenance-related services too, like system flushes, defrosting, vent checkups, and more.
It can be costly to maintain an HVAC unit, which is why some owners skip the service. But by regularly reminding your customers of the importance of maintenance, as well as the consequences of skipping it, you can encourage them to get your service and increase your revenue yet again.
4. Energy Efficiency
Corporate social responsibility is crucial for every business. Now that environmental awareness is continuously increasing, a large portion of your market is surely expecting you to know the environmental impacts of an HVAC unit.
Fortunately, most well-known HVAC brands have inverter-type units, which consume less energy than old-fashioned HVAC units. As for the specific systems that offer the most energy efficiency, they are:
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Standard Spit Heat Pump
A.k.a. split-type A/C, this system is efficient because it only requires a minimum amount of energy to circulate the refrigerant and carry cool and hot air in the different zones of a space.
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Mini Split Heat Pumps
In the cooler seasons, a mini-split heat pump system can offer heat without wasting energy because they use inverter technology.
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Geothermal Heat Pump
Likewise, a geothermal heat pump system will offer guiltless heat during the colder months because it gets heat from the ground, which is already present. Hence, it’s sustainable.
By focusing your marketing strategies on these desirable HVAC qualities, your business can win the trust and loyalty of consumers, because you’ve proven that you know your way around HVAC systems. In addition, it shows that you’re not just after getting sales, but instead, you’re actually looking out for people’s HVAC units and want to maximize the benefits they receive from them.